Democrats Demonstrate Bold Leadership on Environmental Protection & Climate Change

Annapolis, MD— The 2019 Legislative Session featured a number of groundbreaking bills from Democratic lawmakers that recognize the pressing need to combat climate change, save Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, and protect the environment for future generations.

“Marylanders rely on our party to defend the Bay from pollution and overfishing,” Maryland Democratic Party Chair Maya Rockeymoore Cummings said. “They also count on our elected officials to advance bold policy initiatives to combat climate change. And this year our caucus delivered first in the nation measures to protect our environment.”

Here are some notable environmental measures sponsored and passed by Democrats in 2019:

• Del. Alice Cain & Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller sponsored the Green Schools Bill to mandate $1.6 million in spending over FY2021 through FY2025 to increase the number of Maryland’s designed “green schools” from 27% to 50%.
• Del. Brooke Lierman & Sen. Cheryl Kagan sponsored a first-in-the-nation statewide Styrofoam Ban to end on our reliance on single-use plastics that are polluting our state, country, and world.
• Sen. Brian J. Feldman sponsored the Clean Energy Jobs Act to require the state’s electric utilities to acquire half (50%) of their energy from renewable sources by 2030, a crucial step towards combating climate change.
• Sen. Paul Pinsky & the late Speaker Michael Busch sponsored the Oyster Sanctuary Protection Bill, which establishes a network of oyster sanctuaries and prohibits people from catching or removing oysters from them.

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Internationally acclaimed scientists have warned that the world is in danger of “planetary extinction” if humanity fails to take proactive measures to address climate change. By aggressively promoting renewable energy sources through bills such as the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Maryland Democrats are national leaders in the fight to protect our environment.

“Our caucus— wisely— voted to override Governor Hogan’s veto of protections for our Oyster Sanctuaries, and it remains to be seen if he will fully support Democrats’ work to combat climate change and protect our natural resources and waterways,” Chair Rockeymoore Cummings said. “Governor Hogan should follow Democrats’ leadership and sign the Clean Energy Jobs Act— a bill that he is considering vetoing— if he truly supports a greener future for Maryland.”